1601-1800 Flashcards
get your ducks in a row
If youget your ducks in a row,you get things well organised.
think again
If you tell someone tothink again, you advise them to reconsider the situation and perhaps change their decision.
keep nose to the grindstone
A person whokeeps their nose to the grindstoneis someone who concentrates on working or studying hard.
in the twinkling of an eye
This expression means ‘very fast’ or ‘instantaneously’.
make mouth water
Food canmake your mouth waterwhen it looks and smells extremely good.
swallow your words
If youswallow your words,you admit that you were wrong.
murder something
If you say that you couldmurder something,such as food or drink, you mean that you want it very much.
all downhill/ downhill all the way
If something isall downhillordownhill all the way, it is very easy to achieve considering the difficulties encountered beforehand.
pass the buck
If you say that someone ispassing the buck,you are accusing them of not taking responsibility for a problem and expecting someone else to handle it.
copper-bottomed
To describe something such as a plan, a contract or a financial arrangement ascopper-bottomedmeans that it is completely safe or reliable.
icing on the cake
If something is referred to asicing on the cake, it is an extra benefit that makes a good situation even better.
muddy the waters
If youmuddy the waters, you make something less clear by giving confusing information.
second a motion
During a meeting, if yousecond a motion,you formally agree with a proposal.
set the stage
If youset the stage for an event or a development, you create conditions that allow it to happen.
shut the stable door when the horse has bolted
If youshut the stable door after the horse has bolted, you try to prevent something bad from happening when it is already too late.
get off the hook
If you do something wrong and manage toget off the hook,you avoid punishment or blame.
scrape the bottom of the barrel
If youscrape the bottom of the barrel,you use the worst or the least satisfactory ideas, things or people because you have no choice.
stand on own two feet
If youstand on your own two feet,you are independent and need no help from anyone.
chance one’s arm
If youchance yourarm, you decide to do something even though there is little hope of success.
ace a test
If you obtain a very high score or an excellent result, youace a test or exam.
full of beans
A person who isfull of beansis lively, active and healthy.
in the doghouse
If you arein the doghouse, someone is angry with you because you have done something wrong.
out of touch
Ifyou areout of touch, you no longer communicate with someone, or you are unaware of recent developments.
beard the lion in his den
If you visit someone important in the place where they work, in order to challenge him/her or obtain something,you beard the lion in his den.
down payment
When someone makes adown payment, they pay part of the total amount agreed when signing a purchase deal or contract.
speak same language
If two or more peoplespeak the same language,they have similar opinions or ideas, so they understand each other very well.
all skin and bone
If someone isall skin and bone,they are very thin or too thin.
done deal
This expression is used to refer to an agreement or decision which has been reached on a certain matter.
take it upon yourself
If youtake something upon yourself,you do it without asking for permission or agreement.
go spare
If yougo spare,you lost your temper completely.
voice in the wilderness
If you are the only person to express a warning or an opinion on a matter which is ignored by most others, you are avoice in the wilderness.
follow one’s nose
If youfollow your nose, you go straight ahead.
go to rack and ruin
If somethinggoes to rack and ruin, it falls into very bad condition because of lack of care.
chip on theshoulder
If someone has achip on their shoulder, the feel resentful because they feel they are being treated unfairly, especially because of their background, their sex or their colour.
bury thehatchet
When people who have had a disagreement decide to forget their quarrel and become friends again, theybury the hatchet.
bulldoze somebody into doing something
A person who isbulldozed into doing somethingis forced to do it, especially by being bullied or intimidated.
none the wiser
If you do not know more about something after obtaining an explanation, or if you fail to find information on the subject, you arenone the wiser.
no strings attached
An offer’with no strings attached’is an offer made without conditions or restrictions, and requires nothing in return.
by theskinof your teeth
To do somethingby the skin of our teethmeans that you just manage to do it, but that you almost fail.
batten down the hatches
When youbatten down the hatches, you prepare yourself for trouble or a forthcoming difficult period, like a ship preparing for a storm.
keep a civil tongue
People whokeep a civil tongueexpress themselves in polite terms.
lo and behold!
This term is used to express surprise, especially at a sudden or unexpected appearance.
force of habit
When something is doneout of force of habit, it has become automatic through frequent repetition.
tower of strength
The termtower of strengthis used to describe a person who is very helpful and supportive during difficult times.
play your cards right
If youplay your cards right, you do all that is necessary in order to succeed or to obtain what you want.
can of worms
To describe a situation as acan of wormsmeans that it is complicated, unpleasant and difficult to deal with.
quaking in one’s boots
When someone is extremely scared, it is said that they arequaking in their boots.
go postal
If someonegoes postal,they lose their temper and express their anger in a violent way.
since time immemorial
If something has existedsince time immemorial,it has been there for such a long time that nobody can recall a time without it.
wheeling and dealing
Someone accused of wheeling and dealing is thought to be involved in complicated, if not dishonest, deals in business or politics.
in hotwater
To say that somebody isin hot watermeans that they have done something wrong and people are angry with them.
every Tom, Dick and Harry
This expression means everyone or everybody.
drop in the ocean
Adrop in the oceanis a very small quantity compared to the amount needed or expected.
give up the ghost
If someone or something gives up the ghost, they die or stop working.
get off thehook
If you do something wrong and manage toget off the hook, you avoid punishment or blame.
(don’t) judge by appearances
This expression means that you should not form an opinion based on outward appearances only.
see light at end of tunnel
If yousee light at the end of the tunnel, you see signs of hope for the future after a long period of difficulty.
cold calls
If you makecold calls, you telephone potential customers from a list of people you do not know.
nuts and bolts
Thenuts and boltsof something are the detailed facts and the practical aspects.
never in a million years
This expression means ‘absolutely never’ or ‘at no time in my life’.
lame excuse
Alame excuseis an explanation which is weak and unconvincing.
make exhibition of
When someone behaves in such a foolish way in public that they look ridiculous, theymake an exhibition of themselves.
workfingersto bone
A person whoworks their fingers to the boneis extremely hardworking.
get a second bite at the cherry
This expression means that you get a second opportunity to do or try something.
make a pig’s ear of
If youmake a pig’s ear of something, you do a task or a chore very badly or make a complete mess of it.
window shopping
When people gowindow shopping,they look at things in shop windows, without actually purchasing anything.
do a good turn
If youdosomeone a good turn,you act in a helpful way.
heart in one’s mouth
A person who has theirheart in their mouthfeels extremely anxious or nervous faced with a dangerous or unpleasant situation.
needle in haystack
To refer to something as aneedle in a haystackmeans that it is very difficult or impossible to find.
not for all the tea in China
To say that you wouldnot do something for all the tea in Chinameans that you would not do it under any conditions.
on tenterhooks
A person who ison tenterhooksis in a state of anxious suspense or excitement.
come to grips
If youcome to gripswith a problem or situation, you start to understand or deal with it properly.
corner the market
If a company dominates an area of business, and leaves no room for competition, it is said to havecornered the market.
browned off
If you arebrowned off, you are bored, fed up or disheartened.
egg someone on
If youegg someone on, you urge or strongly encourage them to do something.
above board
If a situation or business is described asabove board, it is open, honest and legal.
aroaringtrade
If youdo a roaring trade,your business is very successful.
a plum in your mouth
Someone who speaks with an upper-class accent is said to havea plum in their mouth.
music to yourears
To say that something ismusic to your earsmeans that the information you receive makes you feel very happy.
on the blink
If a machine ison the blink, it is not working properly and needs servicing or repair.
bet on the wrong horse
If youbackorbet on the wrong horse, for example the loser in a contest, match or election, you support the wrong person.
go to pieces
If yougo to pieces,for example after a terrible shock, you are so upset or distressed that you cannot lead a normal life.
waiting in the wings
If someone iswaiting in the wings,they are waiting for an opportunity to take action, especially to replace someone else in their job or position.
kick the bucket
Tokick the bucketis a lighthearted way of talking about death.
bill of health
If a person has aclean bill of health, they have a report or certificate declaring that their health is satisfactory.
widow’s peak
A V-shaped point formed by the hair in the centre of the forehead is called awidow’s peak.
less is more
This expression, used particularly in architecture and design, conveys the idea that things that are simple in style and smaller in size are better.
put foot in one’s mouth
If youput your foot in your mouth,you say something that offends, upsets or embarrasses someone.
Achilles heel
This expression refers to a vulnerable area or a weak spot, in an otherwise strong situation, that could cause one’s downfall or failure.
play it by ear
This expression means to improvise or do something without preparation, according to the demands of the situation.
part and parcel
Something that ispart and parcelof an activity or role is a key component or an essential element that cannot be avoided.
sharp as a tack
A person who isas sharp as a tackis able to think quickly and learn very fast.
gointooverdrive
If someone or somethinggoes into overdrive, they begin to work very hard or start to perform intensely.
squarepegin round hole
To say that a person isa square peg in a round holemeans that they are not suitable for the job they are doing or the situation they are in.
make blood run cold
If somethingmakes your blood run cold,it shocks or scares you a lot.
break your back
If you work extremely hard, or put a lot of effort into achieving something, youbreak your backto do it.
heart in right place
A person who has theirheart in the right placehas kind feelings and good intentions, even if the results are not too good.
tighten yourbelt
If you need totighten your belt, you must spend less money or be careful how you spend it because there is less available.
next best thing
If you can’t have exactly what you want, thenext best thingis the best alternative possible.
in the sameboat
If two or more parties arein the same boat, they are in the same unpleasant or difficult situation.
rocket science
If you say’it’s not rocket science’or’no need to be a rocket scientist’, you are emphasizing that something presents no major difficulty.
at someone’s beck and call
If a person isat someone’s beck and call, they are always ready to do things for them or obey orders to please them.
take the rough with the smooth
If youtake the rough with the smooth, you accept what is unpleasant or difficult as well as what is pleasant or easy.
keep fingers crossed
If youkeep your fingers crossed,you hope that something will be successful.
thank one’s lucky stars
When someone says they canthank their lucky stars,they are expressing heartfelt gratitude or feeling particularly fortunate.
all in your head
If something isall in your head, it is not real.
one fell swoop
If something is accomplishedat (orin) one fell swoop,it is done in a single action, usually rapidly and ruthlessly.
cake/game is not worth the candle
To say thatthe cake(or the game)is not worth the candlemeans that the advantages to be gained from doing something are not worth the effort involved.
bored to tears (distraction/death/silly)
If you find something so dull and uninteresting that it makes you sad enough to cry, you arebored to tears.
cut loose
If someonecuts looseoris cut loose, they stop being influenced or controlled by another person or group.
know which waywindblows
This expression means that it is advisable to know how a situation is developing, or what the tendency is, in order to be prepared for any changes.
by the same token
If you apply the same rule to different situations, you judge themby the same token, or in a similar way.
burn your bridges
If youburn your bridges, you do something that will be impossible to rectify in the future.
lend an ear
If youlend an earto someone, you listen carefully and sympathetically.
shop around
If youshop around,you visit a number of shops selling similar articles in order to compare the prices.
seal of approval
If a project or contract receives aseal of approval,it receives formal support or approval from higher authorities.
guilty pleasure
Enjoying something which is not generally held in high regard, while at the same time feeling a bit guilty about it, is called aguilty pleasure.
left to one’s own devices
If youleave someone to their own devices, you let them look after themselves, without help or supervision.
beyond recall
Something which isbeyond recallis impossible to retrieve, cancel or reverse.
punch line
Thepunch lineis the funny sentence that ends a joke or an amusing story.
hard to swallow
When something is difficult to accept or believe, it ishard to swallow.
text-walking
This term refers to a recently-developed and somewhat dangerous habit of walking while texting a message on a mobile phone, completely unaware of what is happening around you.
play footsie
If youplay footsiewith someone, you touch their feet lightly, especially under the table, to show your interest.
sledgehammer to crack a nut
Usinga sledgehammer to crack a nutmeans using disproportionate force to solve a problem.
can’t for the life of me
This expression can be used to say that it is impossible for you to do something, no matter how hard you try.
fender-bender
This expression refers to a minor car accident in which there is little damage and no injuries.
pad the bill
If someonepads the bill,they add false items to a bill or invoice in order to increase the total amount.
mind of your own
If you have amind of your own, you are capable of forming an opinion and making decisions without being influenced by others.
get someone by the short hairs
If youget(orhave)someone by the short hairs, you put them in a difficult situation from which they cannot escape, so you have complete control over them.
cut a longstoryshort
When talking about something, if you say’to cut a long story short’,you indicate that you are going to say what is essential rather than go into the details.
go to thedogs
To say that a company, organisation or country isgoing to the dogsmeans that it is becoming less successful or efficient then before.
vertically challenged
This term is a humoristic way of referring to someone who is not very tall.
more fun than a barrel of monkeys
If something is very amusing or enjoyable, you can say that it ismore fun than a barrel of monkeys.
white Christmas
Awhite Christmasis when it snows at Christmas and the ground is white.
(not) playing with a full deck (of cards)
Someone who isnot playing with a full deck(of cards) lacks intelligence or does not have full mental abilities.
take for aride
Totake someone for a ridemeans to cheat or deceive them.
not all there
Someone who isnot all therebehaves strangely at times, or seems a bit odd.
stick to your last
If you tell someone tostick to their last,you are asking them to restrict their intervention or comments to an area where they have knowledge and experience, and to keep away from areas where they know nothing.
hue and cry
If there isa hue and cryabout something, there is loud opposition to it.
short and sweet
Something that isshort and sweetis brief but pleasant.
tricks of the trade
This term refers to a clever or expert way of doing things, especially in a job.
free-for-all
This term refers to an uncontrolled situation such as a discussion, argument or fight where everyone present can do or say whatever they like.
pull the other one (it’s got bells on)
After hearing an unlikely story, this is a way of telling the speaker that you neither believe what they say nor whatever they may say next.
tit for tat
This expression refers to an injury or insult given in return for one received.
black tie event
This expression refers to a formal event at which men are required to wear a dinner jacket, or tuxedo, and a black bow tie.
sweep under the rug
If yousweep something under the rug(or carpet), you try to hide it because it is embarrassing.
take the mickey out of
If youtake the mickey out ofsomeone, you tease them or make fun of their behaviour, sometimes in an unkind way.
caught unawares
If someone iscaught unawares, they are surprised and unprepared for what happens.
bear in mind
If a person asks you tobear something in mind, they are asking you to remember it because it is important.
break fresh ground
If youbreak fresh ground, you innovate by introducing or developing a new method or system.
ahead of the pack
If a person or organisation isahead of the pack, they are better or more successful than their rivals.
eat dirt
If youeat dirt,you are forced to accept another person’s bad treatment or insulting remarks.
back on your feet
If you areback on your feet, after an illness or an accident, you are physically healthy again.
ill-gotten gains
Money, profit or benefits that are made in a dishonest or illegal manner are calledill-gotten gains.
irons in the fire
If you have a few, or many,irons in the fire, you are involved in several projects at the same time.
keep your nose clean
A person whokeeps their nose cleanbehaves well and avoids trouble.
spill the beans
If youspill the beans,you reveal a secret or talk about something private.
cut it out
If you say ‘cut it out’to someone, you are telling them to stop doing something.
that makes two of us!
This expression indicates agreement with what has just been said.
bar fly
Abar flyis someone who spends a lot of time drinking in bars and pubs.
weigh pros and cons
If youweigh the pros and cons, you consider the advantages and disadvantages, the arguments for or against something.
above and beyond the call of duty
If a person does something which isabove and beyond the call of duty, they show a greater degree of courage or effort than is usually required or expected in their job.
turn on/upheat
If youturn on/up the heaton a person or organisation, you put pressure on them in order to obtain what you want.
give it a rest
If someone tells you togive it a rest,they are asking you to stop doing something such as complaining or talking continuously.
get it down to a fine art
When you learn to do something perfectly, youget it down to a fine art.
on tap
If something ison tap, it is easily obtained or available for immediate use, like water from a tap.
exception proves the rule
If something is different from a general belief or theory, it shows that the belief or theory is true.
walk all over someone
If one personwalks all over another, they treat them very badly or unkindly, especially by showing no consideration for their cares or needs.
without a hitch
If something happenswithout a hitch,it takes place exactly as planned, without any difficulties.
laugh up one’s sleeve
If youlaugh up your sleeve, you are secretly amused at another person’s problems or difficulties.
push the envelope
When youpush the envelope,you do something in an extreme way or exceed the limits of what is considered acceptable.
jump on bandwagon
If a person or organisationjumps on the bandwagon, they decide to do something when it is already successful or fashionable.
find/meet yourmatch
If youfindormeet your match,you encounter someone who is equal to you in skills or abilities.
dull at ditchwater dull asdishwater
Something asdull as ditchwateris very boring.
soft option
If you choose the easiest course of action available, which is usually not very effective, youtake a soft option.
smokescreen
Asmokescreenis an action or tactic intended to conceal or divert attention from your real intentions or activities.
see in a new light
If yousee something in a new light,you view it in a way that makes you change the opinion you had before.
in two minds
If you arein two mindsabout something, you have difficulty deciding what to do.
out of this world
To refer to something asout of this worldmeans that you think it is extremely good or impressive.
handsfull
If youhave your hands full, you are very busy or have a lot to do.
takesteps
If youtake steps,you start a course of action in order to accomplish something.
thorn in your side
If you say that someone isa thorn in your side,you mean that they continually irritate or annoy you.
arm of the law
This expression refers to the extent to which the authority or power of the law extends.
let off steam
A person wholets off steamreleases surplus energy or strong feelings either through intense physical activity or by talking in an unrestrained manner.
stark raving mad
To say that someone isstark raving madmeans that they are completely crazy.
haul over the coals
If youhaul someone over the coals,you reprimand them harshly because they have done something wrong or incorrectly.
off your rocker
If you tell someone that they areoff their rocker, you think they are completely crazy.
come apart at the seams
To say that someone iscoming apart at the seamsmeans that they are extremely upset or under severe mental stress.
playsecondfiddle
If youplay second fiddleto another person, you accept to be second in importance to that person, or have a lower position.
dream ticket
If you refer to two people as adream ticket, you think they would work well together and be successful.
all hands on deck
When there is a need forall hands on deck, everyone must help, especially when there is a lot of work to be done in a short amount of time.
hold your tongue
If youhold your tongue,you stay silent and say nothing.
splash out on
If yousplash out onsomething, you spend a lot of money on it.
shrug something off
If yourshrug something off, you dismiss it as being unimportant.
raise/lower one’s sights
If youraise/lower your sights,your raise or lower your expectations, or you are more or less ambitious.
give adoga bad name
People who lose their reputation have difficulty regaining it because others continue to blame or suspect them.
get a load of
This slang expression means to pay attention or take notice of something.
moonlight flit
Someone whodoes a moonlight flitleaves a place quickly and in secret, usually to avoid paying debts.
go downhill
When somethinggoes downhill, it deteriorates or gets worse little by little.
any port in a storm
When you have no choice,any port in a stormrefers to a solution you accept, which in normal circumstances you would find unacceptable.
